We’re past the halfway point of the Bundesliga season, and we sit a commanding six points clear, the title is surely ours to lose. But we’ve been there before.
The Nearly Men | Ep. 8: Januar 2017
The squad returned from the Christmas break to a warm weather training camp in Spain. Oliver Bartlett has reported that Admir Mehmedi has held a mince-pie eating protest.
The Nearly Men | Ep. 7: Dezember 2016
Defeat was inevitable at some point, but losing to 16th place Mainz shows we’re human after all. Is Winter coming?
The Nearly Men | Ep. 6: November 2016
It wouldn’t be Bayer Leverkusen if the wheels didn’t fall off the bike, would it?
The Nearly Men | Ep. 5: Oktober 2016
Five games in, unbeaten and sitting top of the table domestically and in Europe, things are pretty in Leverkusen, but Bayern await in the DFB Pokal second round.
The Nearly Men | Ep. 4: September 2016
An unbeaten preseason has created a sense of optimism around the BayArena, but a potential banana skin awaits in the DFB Pokal against non-league opposition before the Bundesliga kicks off at Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Nearly Men | Ep. 3: Saisonvorbereitung
I guess it’s time we played some football? With thanks to the community’s resident German linguist Der FM for supplying me with “Saisonvorbereitung” as the correct word for “pre-season”.
The Nearly Men | Ep. 2: Die Werkself
The fans are apparently dispassionate, no-one really likes us, and we’ve not won a trophy in 23 years. But what do we have going for us?
The Nearly Men | Ep. 1: Willkommen
Sky Blue Thinking couldn’t have gone much worse for Stephen van der Hagen, as the rains in Spain fell mainly on the err… hills. A horrendous La Liga campaign culminated in a firing shortly after the New Year, and there was little joy to be had in Europe either as Celta were trounced by the mighty Zorya and Viktoria Plzeň, crashing out at the group stage.
The former Dutch international has found solace in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, noted for its former prowess in coal mining and steel and, according to Wikipedia at least, its preparation for nuclear disaster. There must be something about industrial powerhouses that attracts such a liberal, artistic individual.
